Microsoft Launches Home-Grown Internet Search Service
The News Review:
- Microsoft Launches Home-Grown Internet Search Service
- MetLife to Buy Citigroup Unit
- Cricket: A prodigal son returns to South Africa as an enemy
- Digging in the dirt
Microsoft Launches Home-Grown Internet Search Service
InformationWeek – Feb 1, 2005
“Of the three, Yahoo’s local search is the best,” Price said. Over the last six months, Yahoo has made significant improvements, including the addition of traffic information to its online local map service. Local search holds strong revenue potential for search engines, since many web surfers look for products and services near their home or in cities they’re visiting. In general, however, local search draws the most complaints from consumers, who often find that the results don’t match their needs, according to web performance tracker Keynote Systems Inc. Another area of fierce competition is in desktop search. All three rivals have released beta software that can be downloaded to the desktop and used to search files in a person’s PC, as well as the web. The tools are viewed as important among search companies because people often begin web surfing with a search engine.
MetLife to Buy Citigroup Unit
Washington Post – Feb 1, 2005
To finance the purchase, MetLife plans to sell $1. 5 billion to $3 billion in debt and $5 billion of securities that are convertible to stock. Microsoft to Launch Search Engine Microsoft will launch its first home-grown Web search engine on its MSN Web site today, company officials said, replacing search results formerly licensed from rival Yahoo with those provided by Microsoft’s own technology. , software maker also is giving the MSN home page a facelift, streamlining it and adding cues to differentiate advertising from other content, Vice President Yusuf Mehdi said. Among the new search features is a “search near me” button that reads each user’s Internet connection and attempts to offer results for nearby sites.
Cricket: A prodigal son returns to South Africa as an enemy
International Herald Tribune – Feb 2, 2005
He may, though, represent the advance guard of a wave of South African players taking advantage of the Kolpak judgment, which makes them in effect European Union nationals, to seek professional careers in English county cricket. A list of 20 was circulated to counties just before Christmas. There are few objections to the truly outstanding talent, but the merely good player who meets a team's short-term needs but may deny opportunities to home-grown talent is another matter.
Digging in the dirt
The Age – Feb 1, 2005
There was the Day Of The Great Scorch (all my best linen wascommandeered to shield the delicate plants), the Night Of ThePossum Raid and the Weekend We Couldn’t Go Away In Case It Didn’tRain. But what a bumper harvest it was! Neighbours, friends and familyall left our house groaning under the burden of bags oftomatoes. Thankfully, this year GT has been a little more restrained inhis planting of tomatoes, but we are hoping for a steady (and notoverwhelming) supply of chunky beefeaters, sweet grape tomatoes,and yes, sun-ripened, home-grown romas. And this time there mighteven be room in the garden for something else. A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE WAYS WITH TOMATOES· Beefsteak tomatoes: These chunky specimens are perfectfor a summer lamb sandwich. Thickly slice cold roast lamb andtomatoes. Generously butter two pieces of sourdough bread.